Does anyone know the answer to this?

[Peep_Show]

Just curious as a thought popped into my head. I know when you worm the flock you're not supposed to consume the eggs for a period thereafter, but can you incubate and hatch them?

Has anyone done this? Do the chicks end up deformed or defective?

 

[foreverlearning]

It is not advised to hatch them either. That being said, I have had a broody take 6 eggs from the first 4 days after a preventive worming and hatch all healthy chicks out of them. 100% hatch rate and no problems to date (6 months old). The wormer can go into the egg. There is not enough research to know if all wormers go into all eggs. There is also no research on how the wormers effect chicks, hence advising against it to cover themselves. They want to make sure that you can't sue them if their product goes into the egg, you eat it, then get sick because they don't know how it will effect you. I don't eat eggs when worming just to be safe but I do feed them to dogs and goats that get the same wormer as my chickens at the same time.

 

[sumi]

It is not advised to hatch them either. That being said, I have had a broody take 6 eggs from the first 4 days after a preventive worming and hatch all healthy chicks out of them. 100% hatch rate and no problems to date (6 months old). The wormer can go into the egg. There is not enough research to know if all wormers go into all eggs. There is also no research on how the wormers effect chicks, hence advising against it to cover themselves. They want to make sure that you can't sue them if their product goes into the egg, you eat it, then get sick because they don't know how it will effect you. I don't eat eggs when worming just to be safe but I do feed them to dogs and goats that get the same wormer as my chickens at the same time.

Good answer.

I've researched this myself and the only info I could find was one person's experience, the chicks were severely handicapped and either failed to hatch or died shortly after. He did not say which dewormer he used. I'd play it safe and not incubate the eggs laid during the withdrawal period.

 

[foreverlearning]

Ah yes, I forgot to state what dewormer I used. I use Valbazen (Albendazole), it is a broad spectrum dewormer for cattle, sheep, goats, and humans (for tape worms). Even when prescribed for humans it is advised not to use while pregnant because studies have not been done on the effect it may have.